On the Lam (Wistful Beast and Vermiciro)

Status
Not open for further replies.
It was going to be a riot. Upon watching her copilot spit in disgust, Judith choked back a laugh. It sputtered from her until eventually she couldn't restrain her amusement. She cackled, pounding the wheel with the heel of her hand as she did. It was just too good. Not because Callie was revolted, or how her face expressed the experience, but because Judith knew exactly what she was going through.

Memories of youthful nescience and adult stupidity came back to her. The bitter astringency of gin making her tongue retract in revulsion. And the cheap tequila when she was sixteen that she couldn't even drink because the smell alone nearly made her vomit. Judith sighed. Somehow suffering made the sweetest memories and the best stories.

"That was cute." she admitted. "But it didn't count 'cause you spat it. If you brought something to wash it down, help yourself to it between drinks. Might make it easier for you." Judith suggested.
 
Callie looked down at the bottle, face still contorted in a revolted expression. She was wondering how anyone could ever enjoy this foul stuff. It seemed to slaughter her taste buds upon contact and make her mouth burn in an uncomfortable manner. Sure she understand how some people enjoyed alcohol, but the reason for why anyone would choose to knock back this vile shit eluded Callie's mind. She hastily pulled the water bottle from the bag she had brought, ears growing hot with embarrassment as Judith's cackling filled her ears. She had little reason to be ashamed, but Callie didn't like her efforts to be mocked right now.

"Y..you must have a tw...twisted definition of cute then..."Callie muttered, mostly to herself. She didn't find choking of this stuff to be very cute. Amusing maybe, but cute, no. Callie kept her window rolled up to avoid the temptation of spitting. Then she knocked back the bottle again and allowed a small sip to enter her mouth. She screwed her eyes shut and brought a hand to her mouth to prevent herself from gagging the contents out. Callie managed to swallow, coughing once she had downed the small amount of liquid. Upon observing the bottle, Callie was well aware that this would be quite the struggle.
 
"See," Judith nudged her in good nature. "Nothin' to it." She figured her partner would be more agreeable by the time they reached Trevor's if things proceeded as they were. Two and a half hours left on the macadam before they'd get there. The police would have their names and faces all over the news before that. Everyone in the area would be on the lookout for the SUV they were driving. Nowhere would be safe. They'd have to become ghosts, never seen, never heard. Judith figured it would be better for them both if Callie's nerves were a little looser from the alcohol by then. Save them both the stress of crossing the border.

"While you're working that bottle how about we play a little game?" Judith suggested. "Question for question. You ask me one, I answer. Then I ask you one, you answer. Get to know each other a little seein' as we're partners in crime for the time bein'. Sound good?"
 
Callie downed some water to try to alleviate the burning senstation that filled her mouth. She found that waiting only made things worse since it drew out her suffering. She took another small sip, her reaction the same as the previous one with the brief bout of coghing that followed.

"O..okay..."Callie agreed. She found that it would be bet to know a bit more about Judith since it may prove that the violent woman was somewhat human. Also, asking and answering questions would help pass the time as she got through this awful alcohol. Taking another sip, Callie spoke after she finished her coughing. "I..I have a question...Why were..were you arrested?"she asked.
 
Not the kind to wade in the shallows, had to jump straight into the deep end. Judith rolled her lips in thought before pressing them into a tight and bitter smile. She had done awful things in her past, had walked the road of iniquity without ever looking back. Judith hadn't regret any slight given, punch thrown, drug sold, or goods stolen. She never regretted a thing except what put her in the back of that transport vehicle.

Judith swallowed hard and kept her eyes on the road. "Murder." she replied succinctly. "I murdered someone." she didn't say anything further on it. "How'd you end up cuffed?" she asked in return.
 
Callie wasn't really surprised by the answer, having suspected something like that from a woman as violent ad Judith. However, Callie noticed that Judith provided no details and didn't seem to want to. It even seemed like Judith felt...regret? Why else would she seen a bit tense now? Callie would probably ask the specifics later, but would allow some buffer time.

Callie had no reason to feel poorly about her crime, since she didn't commit it. "They...they think that I mur..murdered someone. "Callie answered. She knocked the bottle back and took a bigger sip. Swallowing harshly, she made a retching sound in between coughs, though nothing came out except a bit of saliva. Callie wiped off her mouth discreetly, having the sudden urge to chuck the damn bottle out the window. She knew that wouldn't help her cause though, so she just took a break from drinking to ask the next question. She was already beginning to feel the start of a buzz of sorts.

Callie caught her breath and asked, "So...where, where are you from?"she asked. There was no reason to start with the more intense questions since they had a while together it seemed.
 
"Think that." Judith echoed silently to herself. It hadn't crossed her mind that Callie could have been falsely accused, perhaps even a suspect being held for an impending trial, yet to be found guilty. She could have been completely innocent and now face charges as an accomplice because Judith cajoled her into partnership. The idea was oddly satisfying, but Judith reserved her suspicions. It was always possible that Callie was lying to her. Though, there wasn't much reason to.

Drumming her fingers on the wheel, Judith considered the next question. "I assume you mean 'Where do I call home?' and not where I was born." she attempted to clarify. "And to be honest I don't have a home aside from the one my mama raised me in. I've never had a place of my own. I'm a drifter. Like Clint Eastwood in those old westerns, A Fistful of Dollars or whatever." Judith didn't know any euphemism for a person who was nearly a hobo, selling drugs, and sleeping in a new girlfriend's bed every month. "I get around." she summarized ambiguously.

Judith had a few questions come to mind, but decided to ask something more casual. "What did you do before getting arrested?"
 
Callie looked out at the road ahead of them as she listened to Judith's answer, trying her best to relax now. She held the bottle of Jack in both hands, fingers drumming idly on the side of the glass. Callie had expected a different answer for some reason. Unconsciously she had figured the woman at least had a base. Criminals in stories and such usually had some place to return to after they did the deed. Well, Callie had also only assumed that murder hadn't been the only crime committed by Judith considering the woman's overall more rogue manner about herself.

Callie practically glared down at the bottle of whiskey now, mentally cursing it since she knew she had to take another sip. Callie stifled her complaints and just took another gulp, eyes watering and throat placed under searing pain. Her coughing was minimal though, probably because she was trying her damnedest to ignore the taste instead of focusing purely on its vicious bite. Callie took little thought to answer, "I..I was a mechanic. I worked on cars." Noticeably, as her alcohol intake was increased, the amount of stuttering slowly began to decline.
 
If ever there was a use to keep her around, Judith had just heard it. "An auto-mechanic." She sang liltingly. Stealing cars had never been her forte, too easy to trace, too much trouble. Not to mention she didn't like driving at high speeds. They made her tense, nauseous, and, much to the dismay of any other passengers, violently vociferous. Speed and cars just weren't in Judith's cards, but she wasn't about to deny their use, especially when transportation was so vital.

"That's not a bad gig." Judith commented. "Can you hot-wire 'em? And what about unlocking, can you manage that or is it more in the realm of locksmith?" It didn't do them much good if they could start a vehicle if they couldn't first get into it. Though, under pressing circumstances, Judith wasn't opposed to breaking a window.
 
Callie figured that Judith would be pleased to hear this news, considering the ability to work on cars was rather useful when on the run. That way it wouldn't be the end of the line for them if they had car troubles. Also, the skill could be used to steal cars to manipulate for their own use. Judith's pleasure was detected through the tone she used and Callie wondered if that meant she was useful enough to keep around. Callie sure hoped so at least. She couldn't survive on her own, even with her abilities since she couldn't do any risky car jacking without someone giving her an incentive to, like her life in this scenario.

Callie took another swig of the alcohol, pausing to aggressively gag afterwards. She had to drink more water before she could answer Judith's questions. "I..I c, can hot wire pretty easily, but, but unlocking them t..takes a bit more effort. Especially without the proper tools."Callie replied. She rested her head on the back of her seat and closed her eyes, already feeling her muscles begin to relax. Opening her eyes again and looking down at the bottle, she realized she wasn't even close to drinking the amount Judith had asked her to. Callie groaned internally in response to this discovery.

Callie paused and then asked, "Do you have a job?" It seemed like a pretty relevant questions since she had just shared her occupation.
 
The pint of whiskey was depleting slower than hair decomposing. Judith watched the level dip lower with every touch of the bottle to Callie's mouth. Fuck, did she want a drink, her own mouth becoming wet, a buffer of saliva in expectation of the desired liquor. She couldn't kept track of the level if she took her share though. Judith swallowed, trying to keep her eyes on the road.

"I'm unemployed." she told casually. "I can't stand working, and it's not 'cause I'm lazy." Judith elucidated. "It's because I hate people telling me what to do, be it a boss or some customer." she sneered, nearly spitting the last word. Memory of her only job, a part-time position at a retail store, came back in clarion, stereo quality. An altercation over a return nearly became a brawl that resulted in her being fired, though if asked, Judith would say she quit before her supervisor could ever utter the words.

"There's plenty of cash to be made on the streets." she smiled knowingly. "You just have to find the right local and customer based. Heroine's been selling pretty well. Buy low, sell high, and the difference is yours."

Judith checked the time. There was still plenty to kill. She pressed her lips tight in contemplation before asking, "After the heat settles, Just how do you plan on living as a convicted felon?"
 
Callie took another drink and then another right afterwards to try to reach finsihing a bit quicker, the sudden increase making her start hacking for another moment. It was like drinking liquid fire in Callie's opinion, the liquid seeming to eat away angrily at her tongue and take its own sweet time meandering down her already stinging throat. Callie wiped away the moisture forming in the corners of her eyes, mind seemiong to hum now in result of the small amount she had consumed so far. Callie wistfully wished that she could tolerate this more, her stomach feeling a bit squirmy right about now.

Trying to disregard her discomfort, she listened to Judith's answer. Callie figured the woman had committed small crimes along the side and was correct when she heard the woman speak of selling drugs. Callie didn't really know how to react to this development and instead awaited a question from Judith.

The question had been expected to pop up at one point or another, but Callie was still dumbfounded. "Um..."she managed. She paused, taking another drink while she was thinking. Callie really didn't know what to do since all she had been focused on for now was escaping the cops. "I..I'm not really sure...I..I guess I'll have to find somewhere and lay low...Maybe try..try to work at another auto shop...I don't really know."she replied, the thought of answering the question further causing her head to spin.

"Well...what are you planning on doing?"Callie replied, managing not to stammer this time. The alcohol was also managing to loosen her tongue a bit.
 
Judith could understand her partner's reply. She figured most people found a niche in life and would return to it if ever displaced. Even now, with her hopes in foreign soil, Judith was still considering a return to her usual lifestyle. It was comfortable and secure to a degree, but most of all, it was something she knew well by now. She wasn't getting any younger. She wasn't going to learn a trade anytime soon, much less get hired. In a cut-throat world that cast pearls before swine what choice did she have?

She sighed softly. "To be honest, I don't really have a plan." she confessed. "I could do what I've always done until I find myself on the wrong end of a bad deal. But I'd rather not." Her gaze was still on the road, but distant, looking past, looking inward. "You know, this isn't exactly the life I wanted. Sure, I don't want a fucking job, but I don't wanna be on the streets either." and Judith paused, considering what she was about to say. "You ever think about living off the land.?"
 
Callie looked over to Judith, fearful expression softening a little. The reason for the relaxing of her facial muscles was partly because of the alcohol and partly because for now she was pretty positive that she wasn't about to be killed. This woman was terrifying in Callie's opinion, but she did prove to still be human. Judith didn't have the personality of a villain, not really wanting the more crime ridden life that she had led previously. Sure the woman would undoubtedly elicit pain from someone without much of a sympathetic thought, but her heart didn't seem completely black. This idea was also supported because she hadn't dispatched Callie yet and didn't seem like she was going to for a while. Callie still had many mixed emotions about this feral looking woman.

Callie tried to take a longer drink of alcohol this time, managing three sips before choking and nearly throwing the bottle at her feet. Callie groaned openly this time after she finished her bout of suffering. "I fucking hate this stuff..."she grumbled darkly to herself, though she actually just seemed to look like a puppy that someone kicked instead of a truly grumpy person. Callie perked up again when she was given another question. "Like...like farming or something? I..I can do that much. I was raised on a farm, nice place. But..but like living in a forest or something, I probably couldn't handle it."she replied. Callie was pretty confident in her ability to farm, though she wasn't particularity sure that she could start on herself instead of just tending to one.

Callie decided to ask Judith another questions since it was her turn now. "Hmm...let's see...H..have you ever had a bad run in with the law? Like..like before this stuff happened.."she asked. Her voice seemed more mellow now, the frightened trill removed as the alcohol began to make its effects more evident. The fidgeting of her hands was still acute, but nervous or not she'd always be moving in some way.
 
Gradually, the alcohol seemed to be taking effect, evident in the slowly surfacing signs of inebriation. Either that or Judith was losing her edge, melting, soft as water as she revealed piece after piece of her life. She wanted to believe it was the alcohol. Three violent encounters and the adrenaline thinning to a trickle had left her tired. She couldn't bother with intimidation. She found Callie more tolerable when calm anyways. It was a pity her system didn't acclimate to the astringency though. Judith smiled pityingly as she listened to the coughs.

"Six of one, half dozen of the other." Judith said in response to the topic of a more rusticated life. She liked the idea of being able to meet her own needs, grow and hunt food as required. She figured she wouldn't have to worry about money then, capitalizing on nature instead. Never mind medical needs or electric conveniences. They seemed to slip her mind.

Judith had to think about what would qualify as a bad run in. She had never exchanged bullets with the police. She knew enough to abscond when she was outnumbered. There were close calls with local gangs she could remember, and a pimp who ran her out of town. But cops? "Nah." Judith finally answered. "I've done some stuff, but nothing that would count as a bad run-in. I mean, sure, I have a record, but it's all petty shit. Most of it gets reduced before ever seeing court. And I'm not dumb enough to cause shit with the cops anyways, you know." she explained circumlocutory.

"You got a boyfriend or family you're gonna miss back home?" Judith asked, a thoughtless and unsympathetic question that seemed to come out before she considered what it may bring.
 
Callie was a tad bit disappointed by Judith's answer for some reason. Maybe she unconsciously wanted to paint Judith as a seasoned criminal with experience under her belt instead. Although it was a better answer upon examination since it meant that Judith had managed to evade any harm from officers, an attribute that they needed now. Callie realized that the buzz she was feeling was transitioning into beginning to be drunk. She seemed happier and calmer for little reason. Callie drank some more water before taking another sip of the Jack. It seemed that she was a quarter of the way through now, too much for her liking but not enough for Judith's.

Callie snorted in response to Judith's question. She leaned back into her seat, posture no longer as proper as it was and shoulders not as tense. "I wish. Family is distant and I don't have a boyfriend. Never have, never will. A girlfriend would be nice though." Once Callie's nerves died down, she stopped her stuttering and began to speak normally. Callie took a longer gulp of the alcohol, openly showing her distaste with a grimace and a sigh. Then she looked over and asked Judith, "And I don't suppose you're missing anyone? Well, considering your lifestyle I wouldn't expect a lot of friends...Sorry, that sounded rude..."
 
Learning her copilot was a lesbian was almost as welcome news as her earlier enlightening to Callie's automotive skills. There was certainly still a gross difference in their characters, but Judith was beginning to feel maybe they weren't as disparate as she had assumed. As least they could agree to similar company in their beds. Judith felt she could worry less about men taking advantage of they're situation as well and all the better for her and Callie to take advantage of men.

Taking note of the pint's remaining content's, Judith shrugged off the implied lack of conviviality. Though, it was true. "Yeah," Judith sighed, "I can't really say there's anyone that'll be missing me, or me missing them. I've got contacts, sure. But friends? That's a whole other ballpark, and I'm just about a one man team. I haven't kept contact with my family much either."

Judith thought about turning on the radio, maybe checking to see if they were broadcasting their escape. It wouldn't do them any good to hear though. They already knew their situation. "We'll be taking Trevor's boat down Ponca Creek. You ever been on a boat?"
 
Callie again, wasn't surprised by Judith's answer. A woman like Judith wasn't bound to have a lot of close friends considering the nore unpredictable lifestyle. People that held no homes and sold drugs weren't appealing to most sensible people in regards to friendship. Partnership would be possible, but friendship and partnership were two vastly different relationships.

Callie processed Judith's question, mind beginning to feel a tad bit slower. After taking another drink of course, Callie answered, "A boat? I've been on one once. Wasn't very fun in my opinion, but fun has no factor in this scenario."Callie replied, looking out at the passing landscape.

Callie decided to ask a question that she had in the back of her mind for a little while. "Is this Trevor worth trusting?"
 
"Fuck no." Judith deadpanned. In her experience, no one was trustworthy. Everyone had a weakness to exploit. There wasn't any information in the world that was truly safe, not when someone wanted it bad enough.

"Trevor's not a great guy," she explained, "but he's always got a debt to pay. Between his alimony, child support, and gambling addiction, the bastard never turns down cash. Whenever he wins, either at the casino, race track, street dice, or, I shit you not, bingo, all those winnings get sunk into luxury garbage. For example, the boat we'll be borrowing. Most of the stuff he buys ends up pawned or repossessed though. Hopefully he still has that damn boat."

And Judith really was hoping, because any other route would be swarming with police. She didn't maintain a high opinion of her impecunious contact. She'd even lost some money to him in the past, but where things stood, he was her best, if not only, bet. Noting her partner's growing sluggishness, Judith offered, "We've got about fourty-five more minutes of asphalt to burn. If you get drowsy feel free to take a nap. You won't wake up anywhere skeevy, cross my heart."
 
Callie's suspicions were not reassured by Judith's answer. It seemed that this man they were going to be dealing with wasn't very trustworthy at all. Callie would be anxious, but her body wasn't letting her feel her usual panic. Her eyelids felt pretty heavy too and overall she was a bit drowsy right about now. She couldn't believe herself. She was on the run for suspected murder and yet all she wanted to do right about now was take a nap. Well, Callie couldn't blame herself. She had to blame it on the alcohol. (subtle reference to a sup bar pop song)

Callie tried to focus her thoughts on Trevor. The man was even less trustworthy if Judith was right about his greed and need for cash, as he may be rewarded for revealing their whereabouts. Callie had no choice bu to follow Judith to him though since a boat would be the safest escape in comparison to passing through an area overrun with officers that would be pursuing them. Callie rolled her head over to look back at Judith when the woman suggested sleep. Of course Callie didn't trust this Judith character, but she didn't think she could avoid a little snooze. Taking a last lazy swig from the bottle, she fulfilled Judith's request of downing half of the bottle. The Callie nodded weakly and pulled her legs up onto the seat, leaning her forehead against the window with her arms bunched under her chin. Before long her breathing became steadier, suggesting that she had fallen asleep.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.